Use of green fluorescent protein for visualization of cell-specific gene expression and subcellular protein localization during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis.

We report the use of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) of Aequorea victoria to visualize cell-specific gene expression and protein subcellular localization during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Sporangia bearing the gene (gfp) for the green fluorescent protein fused to genes under the control of the sporulation transcription factor sigma F exhibited a forespore-specific pattern of fluorescence. Forespore-specific fluorescence could be detected with fusions to promoters that are utilized with low (csfB) and high (sspE-2G) efficiency by sigma F-containing RNA polymerase. Conversely, a mother cell-specific pattern of fluorescence was observed in sporangia bearing a transcriptional fusion of gfp to a spore coat protein gene (cotE) under the control of sigma E and an in-frame fusion to a regulatory gene (gerE) under the control of sigma K. An in-frame fusion of gfp to cotE demonstrated that GFP can also be used to visualize protein subcellular localization. In sporangia producing the CotE-GFP fusion protein, fluorescence was found to localize around the developing spore, and this localization was dependent upon SpoIVA, a morphogenetic protein known to determine proper localization of CotE.